I love tasty Swedish treats. But sometimes I like to mix things up with Norwegian desserts. These neighbors actually share quite a few similarities in their cuisine.
Many of these dishes are pretty simple. They use fresh ingredients without going overboard.
You will not find fussy frosting or crazy whipping techniques here. These recipes use warm spices and family favorite flavors instead. They create truly beautiful desserts.
Are you looking for different cookies for your holiday boxes? Maybe you need a quick cake to serve family and friends.
Norway has your back either way. You are going to love all 10 of these Norwegian desserts.
1. Norwegian Pudding (Rømmegrøt)
This is about as traditional as it comes. It is best served warm with melted butter and a good sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. Talk about a super satisfying way to keep warm in the cold months.
It is a simple mixture of milk, butter, flour, sugar, and salt at its core. It is frugal and straightforward.
It tastes great with cinnamon. But I like mine with a dollop of strawberry jam. You will love this comforting dessert.
2. Norwegian Apple Pie
This pie is much closer to a cake or cobbler in my opinion. It is full of sweet and tart apple chunks. But there is no pastry crust or covering.
You need a simple batter mixed with the fruit instead. The apples will soften as it bakes. They release their juices to create a lovely moist crumb.
I like it while it is still warm with a scoop of ice cream.
3. Norwegian Cinnamon Bun Pastries (Skillingsboller)
Is there anything as satisfying as diving into a big warm sticky cinnamon bun? I really cannot think of a thing. This recipe incorporates cardamom into the dough similar to my favorite from Sweden.
It will take some time just like any decent recipe. The dough needs to rise. Then the sliced rolls need to rise before baking.
I like to make my dough the night before. Keep it in the fridge. It is just a matter of rolling and rising in the morning before baking.
4. Norwegian Pepperkaker
I have spent a lot of time in Europe over the holidays. It is always surprising to see how simple many of their favorite dishes are.
You can find this kind of spice cookie all around Scandinavia and the Baltics. It is often served plain with no frosting at all.
The dough is made much like gingerbread. You will need to warm your butter and syrup until it is melted and incorporated.
Be careful when mixing in the rest. Allow it to cool before mixing in your eggs. Just fold the dry ingredients in.
You might need to wrap and chill your dough before rolling.
5. Oslo Kringle Recipe
The base to this is the same choux pastry you would use for cream puffs. This is definitely the recipe to try if you have never made that before. You can practice your technique.
You get a tasty tart too. I like to sprinkle mine with some sugar and sliced almonds. They bake into the dough and create a crispy top.
Liberally drizzle with the glaze when it is baked and cooled. Maybe add a touch of lemon zest over the top too.
6. Norwegian Krumkake Cookies
Do you eat the whole cone after you finish your ice cream? Do you love those crunchy little waffles you can buy in the store? Then this is for you.
These are delicate and sweet. They are excellent when filled with whipped cream. They are a staple in Norway.
The traditional krumkake waffle iron can be a little expensive. I like this alternative method.
It does not give quite the same effect. But it will recreate the cookies well.
7. Norwegian Cardamom-Almond Tart (Yarnall Family’s Fyrstekake)
Cardamom is pretty popular in Scandinavia. You will see almond desserts all over. Combining them creates such a lovely mix of mild fruit and nuts.
The crust for this has cardamom. But you can use store bought too. There is enough spice in the filling that you will not be missing out.
This filling gets made much like a macaron due to the egg whites. It results in a sweet and light crumb.
8. Norwegian Rhubarb Compote
I noticed one thing right away when I was in Sweden. They do not like their sweets overly sweet.
They use lots of spice. They love their tart berries. You will not find too many overly frosted cakes or super sweet cookies.
And that is okay. Their flavors shine without all that sugar.
This recipe took me a minute to love because it is very tart and sour. It is mellowed out with some whipped cream. But I prefer it mixed with some baked apples and a scoop of creamy ice cream.
9. Norwegian Butter Cookies (Serinakaker)
I like a good sugar cookie. But I prefer something like this. It is short and buttery.
It has a better flavor. It can be served plain or with a glaze.
You will need good quality butter for this as the name would suggest. It is the star of the show. There cannot be any substitutes or alterations here.
You will be mixing the butter with the dry ingredients first. That is different than creaming it with sugar.
You can scoop and bake these. You can roll and cut shapes. Or use them as a base for flavored thumbprint cookies.
10. Norwegian Almond Cookies
Now is the time if you have put off buying a cookie press. It is so fun to make a big batch of this dough. You see it come out in all different shapes and sizes.
You can always use a scoop or pipe this dough if you prefer. Using powdered sugar will keep it sweet. But it means you will not be left with that gritty texture.
They only cook for about 7 minutes. It is not enough time for the sugar to dissolve.
Be gentle with the rest once you have thoroughly creamed the butter and sugar. This will give you a lighter dough and a more tender cookie.